Volunteers put new sheen on O.C.'s oldest public school

Oct. 8, 2012

Updated Aug. 21, 2013 1:17 p.m.

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Martha Pina of Culver City stretches past Texas to fill in Oklahoma while creating a colorful map of the United States with other volunteers from DirecTV during a makeover at San Juan Elementary School in San Juan Capistrano on Monday. MICHAEL GOULDING, THE ORANGE COUNTY REGISTER

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Barbara Garnett from West Virginia helps clean one of the playgrounds during a DirecTV makeover for San Juan Elementary School in San Juan Capistrano. MICHAEL GOULDING, THE ORANGE COUNTY REGISTER

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Scott Withycombe from DirecTV passes students as he heads out to clean up the playground at San Juan Elementary School in San Juan Capistrano. MICHAEL GOULDING, THE ORANGE COUNTY REGISTER

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Faith Sicklick dresses for work at Monday's DirecTV makeover at San Juan Elementary School. MICHAEL GOULDING, THE ORANGE COUNTY REGISTER

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Some of the more than 200 volunteers at Monday's makeover at San Juan Elementary School paint a map of the United States on the blacktop. MICHAEL GOULDING, THE ORANGE COUNTY REGISTER

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Patty O'Connor from Chicago helps clean books and bookshelves during a volunteer makeover at San Juan Elementary School in San Juan Capistrano. MICHAEL GOULDING, THE ORANGE COUNTY REGISTER

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Volunteers from DirecTV refurbish a giant map of the United States as part of their makeover of San Juan Elementary School in San Juan Capistrano on Monday. MICHAEL GOULDING, THE ORANGE COUNTY REGISTER

Martha Pina of Culver City stretches past Texas to fill in Oklahoma while creating a colorful map of the United States with other volunteers from DirecTV during a makeover at San Juan Elementary School in San Juan Capistrano on Monday.MICHAEL GOULDING, THE ORANGE COUNTY REGISTER

Did you know?

San Juan Elementary School, built in 1850, is considered the oldest public school in Orange County and one of the oldest in the state.

Originally there was one teacher, who would ride a horse to school from Santa Ana. Now, 750 students attend the school at 31642 El Camino Real, across from Mission San Juan Capistrano.

A time capsule was buried in front of the school April 29, 2011, containing student work, photos and other memorabilia. The capsule is scheduled to be opened in 2050 for the campus's 200th anniversary.

SAN JUAN CAPISTRANO – Orange County's oldest public school got a lift from a decidedly modern source Monday afternoon as 200 volunteers from satellite-TV provider DirecTV converged on San Juan Elementary School to give the campus a major makeover.

The DirecTV staff members joined about 18 volunteers from OneOC, a Santa Ana-based nonprofit that coordinated the project, to clean and organize bookshelves in the library, remove invasive plants and plant new native plants in the garden, paint three outdoor wall murals, repaint a giant U.S. map on the blacktop, rake leaves and a lot more.

The school, built in 1850, has seen many changes as it evolved from an adobe structure to a wood building to the brick buildings and portable classrooms it has today. But the last major renovation was in the 1960s.

"This is the first time we've had this huge of a group of volunteers come to our school," Principal Silvia Pule said. "It will definitely improve the environment and increase the pride the kids have for the school."

DirecTV paid for the materials, except for tools OneOC already had. The school and the two organizations planned the project for almost two months.

Such work would cost at least $25,000 if the school or the Capistrano Unified School District had hired contractors to do it, according to Tim Strauch, chief operating officer of OneOC.

Pule said that without the volunteer effort, the project wouldn't have been possible because of a lack of money and resources.

Joseph Bosch, executive vice president of human resources at DirecTV, said the company tries to emphasize education and that projects like this are a great way to show that to employees.

DirecTV's 200 volunteers came from across the country, even some from South America, to attend a company conference in Dana Point. But before that, they spent nearly five hours Monday giving San Juan Elementary a facelift.

"I love all my colleagues and my peers being here," said volunteer Dawn Lake of West Virginia. "The (volunteer) work definitely adds to the experience."

OneOC President Daniel McQuaid said such projects "move companies beyond just a checkbook impact ... they are really making a difference."

OneOC project leader Laval Brewer said San Juan Elementary was chosen because, given its age, it needed a lot of work. Also, 69 percent of its students are considered disadvantaged under Title I of the federal Elementary and Secondary Education Act.

Children waved as four buses filled with volunteers arrived just before noon.

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